WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar issued the following statement in advance of Veterans Day:
“Veterans Day is a time to focus on what unites us: A deep love of our country and a patriotism that goes way beyond simply feeling pride.”
“That patriotism is why so many veterans have risked their lives to defend our nation. It is what compels veterans to keep serving their communities, even after their military service has ended. And it demands our support for our men and women in uniform – when they’re on the battlefield and once they’re home.”
“So many of Minnesota’s nearly 370,000 veterans serve with distinction only to come home and serve their communities. They are teachers and paramedics, miners and small-business owners and farmers.”
“It may be in a veteran’s second nature to serve. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. A lot of veterans have trouble finding jobs or getting healthy when they get home, making it tough to get by. We need to make it easier and we can. In fact, it’s the least we can do.”
“Our veterans deserve the opportunity to get good jobs and support themselves. And our communities need the skills that our veterans learned on the battlefield and in their training. That’s why I fought to pass a bill that makes it easier for veterans to use the medical training they got while serving in medical fields here at home.”
“I’m also fighting to ensure that veterans don’t have to wait for the benefits they’ve earned or fight through red tape to get them. When they signed up to serve and defend our country, there wasn’t a waiting line. So, there shouldn’t be a waiting line when they return home—not for an education, or a job, or the healthcare benefits they’ve earned.”
“True patriotism isn’t fleeting. It is something we must live every day. Our veterans know that. They lived that patriotism on the battlefield. Some of them lived it even when they got wounded. And they keep living it here at home by going to school, raising families, working, and volunteering. Patriotism without end. Service without end.”
“And just as their patriotism persists, so must our commitments to them. Whether in helping our veterans find a good job or get better benefits, we must always stand by those who stood up for us. Always. Not just on Veterans Day, but every day.”
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